What does S tier mean?
S tier is the top. Here is where it came from, what each tier means, and how to make a tier list of your own.
The short answer
S tier is the best tier on a tier list, one step above A. If something is S tier, it is the best of the best in its category. A is great, S is the one you would pick every single time.
Where S tier comes from
Nobody has one official answer, but the usual explanation goes like this. Some grading systems in Japan put an S grade above A, and the letter is often read as "special" or "superior." Japanese video games picked up the same idea and started grading your run with an S rank above A. From there, gaming and fighting game communities used S tier to rank characters, and the format spread to the rest of the internet, where people now rank everything from fast food to exes.
What every tier means
| Tier | What it means |
|---|---|
| S | The best. No debate, no notes. |
| A | Great. Would happily do it again. |
| B | Good. Solid, not legendary. |
| C | Fine. Mid. You forgot it was there. |
| F | Fail. It knows what it did. |
Most tier lists online run S, A, B, C, D. Some add an F under D. The Tier Board skips D and goes straight from C to F, because F reads like a real fail and D always felt too soft.
S tier vs A tier
The fastest test: if you could only keep one thing from the whole list, that thing is S tier. Everything else that's still great goes in A. If your S row is crowded, it's not S tier. Be stricter.
How to make a tier list
- Pick a category. Concerts, restaurants, trips, your friends, your year. Narrow beats broad.
- Gather the items. For a tier list on your wall, that means tickets, receipts, photos and wristbands you already have.
- Do a fast first pass. Go with your gut. You can move things later.
- Defend your S tier. If you can't say why something is S in one sentence, it's A.
- Re-rank over time. Your opinions change. A good tier list changes with them.
Make one you can keep
A tier list on a screen gets scrolled past. The Tier Board is the same S A B C F tier list printed on a wall tapestry, so you can pin your actual stuff to it and move it when you change your mind. It comes in 36 x 26 in and XL 60 x 50 in, with free US shipping. Need ideas for what to rank? Start with our 35 tier list ideas.